The Atlantic City Council overwhemingly voted down the first reading of an ordinance which would eventually have allowed the rezoning of a 50-foot lot on the southwest corner of 7th and Olive Streets, from Residential to Highway Commercial. Prior to their 7-0 vote, the Council had received a petition from residents in the immediate area opposed to the request from Plummer Investments to have the lot rezoned.

The owner has said he would tear down a 133-year old dilapidated home on the lot he owns because it hasn’t been kept up according to the City’s Minimum Maintenance Code, but he didn’t say what the lot woud be used for. That was still a mystery during Wednesday night’s City Council meeting. Mayor Dave Jones said “We have no plans from the person requesting the variance about what he’s gonna do. I’m not sure what the motive is behind it.”

The City Zoning Board recommended the rezoning be approved, but City Administrator Doug Harris pointed out the proposal doesn’t conform with the intentions of the City’s Comprehensive Plan for residential zoning in that area. Harris said he would be reluctant to rezone the lot unless the City receives more specific plans that would show how it would benefit the neighborhood and conform to the Comprehensive Plan.

The only access to the lot is through an alley, which the Council agreed is not conducive to parking or the flow of traffic in the area, if a commercial structure were to be built on the lot. David Riedeman, real estate agent for the property owner, tried to speak to the Council’s concerns over plans for the property. He said Plummer also owns an adjacent property to the west of the lot in question, and is willing to sell that property as well, if a potential commercial buyer needs parking. Reideman says his client intends to sell the lot for commercial development.